Animal trap



March 29, 1932. s NORTHUP 1,851,371

ANIMAL TRAP Filed Oct. 2, 1928 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Inventor 1 9-211.? rjarm PcLtentedM ar. 1932 FRANZ s. Noitrnm; or OAKLAND; rcALinoRNfiA i Y Application filed October 2, 1923 z sefia1 vgi soawa This invention relates to new and useful I improvements inanimal traps of the single of parts hereinafter more fully described, r shown in the accompanying drawings and I springjaw variety, and aims to provide a highly novel, simple and eificientlyoperat :3 ing trap that may be easily setwithoutdani gerto'tlie'operator and that 1 is equipped. with a jaw latch mechanism for'maintaining.

the jaw in open position, highly sensitive animal control means beingprovided for red leasing a the mechanism -when theganimal: walksthereon enticed by bait: that is 1315-,

tached tothemeans. r v or One of the most important objects of this invention is to provide a trap of this character that may be, manufactured and marketed at low cost, and that is so constructed as to prevent the animals fromsliding or wiggling from under hejaw after they have been caughtthereby. 1

With the foregoing. and other objects in better understood,' the same comprises the claimed. r

' In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding "parts I Figure 1 is a side elevation of fproved trap in set position;

Yfb iug broken away, and disclosing thejaw 5o juncture between thesesprings and the side l in sprungpositio'n.

v r r Figure 3 is atop plan 'view of the trap, the 'jaw being sprung, and -v r V Figure 4 is a perspective of the unit as sociated with the j aw to facilitate thejsetting of'the same without danger to the operator. 7 Now having particular i reference to the drawings my novel trap consists of asuitable base 5 of wood, metal, orother material pro vided adjacent ,one-endwith an opening '6 whereby the same :be anchored to the ground or floor, if desired. The trap further consists ofa relatively elongated spring steel wire jaw 7 the free ends of the side legs of which are formed with inwardly extending coil springs 88,-' the wire at the ,pointsof view asthe natureof the invention will be which is secnre iar'l animal'treac'llel8 infthe 'i0rm of:a relatively square shaped-plateof "legs of the jawibeing toprovide ".tles 99 that are loosely 'pivoted throiigh eye" screws or staples l0'10 driven into the base 5 o, as clearly disclosed in Figurel'. The inner ends of said springs 8 8 areanohored tothe r base as at, T11--1l -The'"windi11g;of these,

springs is siich as to cause-"the jaw 7 "to lie horlglontally ilponi the basef 5 as di sclosed 1n E1gu re :s2 and 3; theraising'of the jawto the position"disclosed,in Eig'nre '1 ca ises' the further winding of "the springs, and consefquently great tension therein.

Arrangedupon thefbas'e S jintermediatethe side edges thereof and slightly forwardly of the anchored ends. of said spring-$8 8 .131

pair of vertically extending spaced brackets 12l2 between the'npper ends of whichis loosely pivo;ted an gelon'gated latch: arm 13 -formedat ts upper endiwith a latch pointl or 14 adaptedfor engagementinfront of a l cross bar 15 secured at'i V Pivoted to the base 5intermediatethe side edgesthereofin back of the springslf8f 8' is (a longitndinallyextending arm 161 formed at 'lug 17 for engagement in back of 'th'e lower end of the latch arm 13 when'fthe upper end I i of the sanieis engaged with-theicrossibar 15 "Figure .Zis a sldeelevation, certainparts T The forward] n efit itjarmie is twisted upon itself top rovidea horizontal efidTto some suitable but light materialptheweight 'ofwhichiwhen combined 'witlithew 'eigh't of I i :fthearm 16vwillnotibe'snflicient to cansethe idroppingof the 'arrnfwhenithe latchfarm '13" f-ispressed'againstthepoint or liig 17 by the a "tendency of the} jaw? to swing downwardly.

. However,-- the weight of an" animal stepping upon the treadle 18 willjbe sufficient to force 7 the treadle and "arm" 16 downwardly for re- I leasing the latch "13 whereupon the j aw 7 will I immediately spring'to ,closedjposition for catchingthe animalbetweenthejawandithe. i: I

' lot I trapr'base5. i I I In -d t ai revent the f animals from g g ts opposite ends/to the slde legs of the ]aW whengsaid-ljawis in the raised pos tion as indicated inEigurjel;

, wriggling from under the jaw 7 the base of the trap is provided around the edge of the treadle 18 with vertically upstanding pins 20. As disclosed in Figures 1 and 3, the top face of the treadle 18 may be and preferably is equipped with suitable means for having attached thereto any desirable character of bait. I c a In order to facilitate the setting of the jaw 7 there is provided a relatively U-fshaped sprin wire lever 21 the intermediate portion of which is pivoted adjacent its opposite ends to the base 5 as at 2222 the springs 8-8, the side legs of this lever extending forwardly with respect to the base and are formed attheir ends with inwardly directed curved fingers for engagement beneath the side legs of the jaws 7 -7. The ii l'ter media'te portion of the lever 21 is so bent at one side of its center to provide a substantially fright angular and upwardly peroj ecting arm 24: whereby the said lever may swung from the horizontal position indigated in Figure 3 'to the position disclosed in directly in of trap to latching position comprisin a setting member consistin of a U-shape member having its bight pivoted to the base and rojoetimas at the ends of its limbs exten ing under the limbs of the jaw member, a handle part on "the bight for rocking the member to cause the projections to raise the jaw member and a second projection on the bight extending under the lever for raising the same to latching position. i

k In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANZ S. NORTHUP.

1 by pulling rearwardly upon said arm "24 whereby the said jaw 7 is raised as disclosed'in Figure l and caught by the latch mechanism. The 'bight portion of the lever or member 21 bent to provide a small projec'tion 24a, this projection extending under the l'eve'r 1'6 forraising the same to latching position when the memberZl is rocked.

In view of the foregoing description when considered in conjunction with the accomnyirr drawings it will be apparent that I ave provided a highly novel, simple, and

extremely Yuseful animal trap that is well adapted for all the purposes heretofore desig;

nated, even though I have herein shown and described ,the invention as consisting of certain detail structural elements .it, is nevertheless to be understood thatsome changes may be made therein without afiecting the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. A trap of the class described, com-prisinga base a U-shaped j aw memberpivoted to the base, spring means for holding the jaw member in closed position adjacent the base, a cross bar having its ends connected with intermediate portions of the limbs of the jaw me b r; an upstandin bracket on the base, a lever pivoted to the bracket and having a projection on its 'u ,per end for engaging the crossbar 'to hold t e jaw member in raised position, a lever pivoted to the base and extending over tha'tlpart of the base adjacent which the :jaw member rests when the jaw member is in lowered position and a projection on said lever to engage the lower end of the lever pivoted to the bracket for holding parts with the jaw member in raised posilon. 2. Meansiorsetting the jaw member of a naa 

